original '97 win vs norinco '97 clone

[pinto bean]

guys, i ran across a winchester 1897 12 guage in a gun store for $399. it seemed to be in fairly good but not pristine condition. i would guess that it is a shooter though.  what do you think -buy this and have it worked on or buy the norinco and have it worked on.

the winchester would have to have the barrel shortened also.

[Camille Eonich]

Buy the Winny and have it worked on.   

[boot strap jack]

what CE said!
BSJ

[Pettifogger]

It all depends.  A well-used 80 year old Winchester vs. a new Norinco.  I would pick a current production Norinco as a starting point over a beat-up original.  The current Norincos have American walnut stocks and all the bugs are pretty much out of them.  The modern steel also seems better than the older Winchesters.  More and more of the originals are failing, especially under the stresses imposed by competition.  That's one reason more and more shooters are switching to double barrels.  I have several originals and two Norincos.  Without doubt the Winchesters are more finely crafted.  However, the Norincos smooth up very nicely and you are starting with a new gun rather than something 50 to 100 years old.

[Camille Eonich]

What do you mean by the following statement?

More and more of the originals are failing, especially under the stresses imposed by competition. 

I have 4 original Winchesters set up for CAS.  All have been worked on and smoothed up by good gunsmiths.  I have been shooting CAS since 2003 and until just recently was shooting at least 4 matches per month.  The only thing that I have had to replace is the ejector and the left side extractor on one.  That one had been gone through before I got it so there is no telling how much it had been shot before said parts fail.


The reasons that I hear for switching to the SxS is that there is less that can go wrong.  Most of the problems that do occur with pump guns are user errors and things go down hill fast.  If the problem was with the old Winchesters then why would they not just buy Norincos?


The last models of Norincos are much better than previous models and they do make fine shotguns for CAS.  There's no doubt about that.  They are still butt ugly though and I have never felt one that is as slick as any of my Winchesters.  Plus the Winchesters do some with character already applied.   You don't feel near as bad about throwing one around as you do a brand spanking new gun that has no scratched or dents.

[Pettifogger]

You answered your own question.  "The reasons that I hear for switching to the SxS is that there is less that can go wrong."

It's like buying an old car.  Anything can be fixed or replaced, but at a certain point the fixin and replacing is taking more time and money than its worth.

[Camille Eonich]

You said that originals were failing.  That's different than the people that are shooting them are messing up with them and a Norinco isn't going to fix that.


If the Winchester is in good shape then it's a steal for $399 and he did say that it's in good shape.  They are much easier to click up than a Norinco too and if it is in good shape then it's going to be more reliable.

[Pettifogger]

You know the old saying "if a frog had wings it wouldn't have such a sore behind."  Absolutely, IF the Winchester is in GOOD shape that would be nice.  I said if its a choice between a beat-up original and a current production Norinco I would start with the Norinco.  I still would.  As far as reliability, once tuned they will both be about equal.  That's about like saying an original Winchester 73 is as "reliable" as a new Uberti 73.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

DON'T cut the barrel!  My best matches ever were an Overall win and a Traditional class win with 30" full choked '97. Deadly!

Besides, you halve the resale value of a diminishing quantity of a classic firearm.